Our Knowledge Is Not Primitive: Decolonizing Botanical Anishinaabe Teachings

by Wendy Makoons Geniusz, Annmarie Geniusz (Illustrator)

Traditional Anishinaabe (Ojibwe or Chippewa) knowledge, like the knowledge systems of indigenous peoples around the world, has long been collected and presented by researchers who were not a part of the culture they observed. The result is a "colonized" version of the knowledge, one that is distorted and trivialized by an ill-suited Eurocentric paradigm of scientific investigation and classification. In Our Knowledge Is Not Primitive, Wendy Makoons Geniusz contrasts the way in which Anishinaabe botanical knowledge is presented in the academic record with how it is preserved in Anishinaabe culture. In doing so she seeks to open a dialogue between the two communities to discuss methods for decolonizing existing texts and to develop innovative approaches for conducting more culturally meaningful research in the future.

As an Anishinaabe who grew up in a household practicing traditional medicine and who went on to earn a doctorate and become a professional scholar, Geniusz possesses the authority of someone with a foot firmly planted in each world. Her unique ability to navigate both indigenous and scientific perspectives makes this book an invaluable contribution to the field and enriches our understanding of all native communities.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Native American, Womens, Cultural Studies

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2009

About the author

Wendy Makoons Geniusz is of Cree and Métis descent. She is assistant professor in the Department of Languages at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where she teaches Ojibwe language courses.

Reviews

[Lori Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing dissertation of Anishinabe life ways and plant medicines. I loved most the quotes and stories of Keewaydinoquay and how they sometimes relayed information in a humorous way. I enjoyed the use of Anishinabemowin words.

[Randy Hedlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Knowledge is Not Primitive by Wendy Makoons Geniusz

The colonists prevented the dispersal of native knowledge and teaching by labeling it as primitive while benefiting from native botanical knowledge. The aim of this book is to help decolonize the revitalize knowledge. Biskaabiiyang - means to return to oneself or decolonize knowledge. One question/observation I have is that understanding and knowledge of others outside of Anishinaabeg can also benefit.
This book has a handy glossary and plenty of dibaajimowin (teachings) to help revitalize izhitwaawin (culture / annisinabe way of being). Geniusz uses the Biskaabiiyang approach where you immerse who you are in the teaching. Assuming an unbiased stance takes “credibility away from the information presented (p12)” Allowing your own perspective could be a helpful tool in getting students to think critically in building connections between them and the text. Instead of just using AI. Which brings me to my purpose in writing and reviewing this. I am a white instructor tasked with teaching native students native standards developed by our school, so it is helpful to write thoughts, reflections and discoveries.
“The practice of gathering lists of words or names iis part of the non-native knowledge keeping systems” If we can do more with the list it becomes closer to presenting botanical gikendaasowin (knowledge and synthesis of teachings). How useful is this advice when it comes to not using AI but thinking for your self. Could use this in a syllabus…



The creation of Nookomis Giizhik
Giizhik = Cedar (Ojibwe Word of the Day)
Bineshiinyag - birds
Giigoonyag - fish
Mishiikenyag - turtles
Anishiabeg - helpless no fur or claws, werecold and hungry.
Migizi (eagle) tried to warn the fish, they swam away.
Gookooko’oo (owl) tried to warn waawaabiganoojiinyag (mice), Gekek (hawk) tried to warn fish.
Amik (beaver) was chosen to be messenger. Ogiishki-manisii (king fischer) grabbed him by top of head.-
Baambiitaa-binesi (132) - woodpecker - stayed on the hole opening to message everybody.
Other Bineshiinyag (birds) - flew off.
Gichi-manidoo - great spirit


Nigiwag (otter) jumps out of hole.
Nookomis giizhik (grandmother cedar) jumps out of hole and grows
Mishi-makwa (great bear) - pushed tree from below
Nigigi (otter) pulls tree - tree is above as it is below
Mishi-marka and Nigigi - walked to find Anishinaabeg - cedar grew along the way. Anishinaabeg ran from them in fear.
Find baby (abinoojiiyens) - Mishi finds the last berry from the vine. This is why babies suckle, because they are trying to keep last berry down
Giizhik (gheshic) - line of communication between worlds. Has physical, medicinal and spiritual virtues that allow Anishinaabeg to prosper.

Additional notes -
Cambium( inner bark) - one cell thick, can be eaten from most none poisonous trees. of Con put hand on cedar and as for help, goes directly in spirit world.

Immunology application, design an experience to test the antimicrobial properties of cedar.
A bow string can be made by dried out nettle, which makes it lose its sting. After it dries out the hard part can be removed leaving behind long fibers that can be spun together

Giwaabamaa giizhik
Wiigwaas (weeg-was) - birch bark

I will continue to ponder how to use this. Perhaps giving the students access to materials so they can present

[Jason Burgess]

Geniusz provides a thought-provoking background on the colonization of anishinaabe botanical knowledge. She does not place deliberate blame on any of the early researchers into Indigenous knowledge. Well written and easy to apply the concepts of decolonization to adult education.

[Alex Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many people are obsessed with RWK and yet this book deserves the same attention, deeply rooted in Anishinaabeg worldview - it is crucial reading for anyone who wants to better understand how to engage with people and land in anishinabeg aki

[Cynthia Mitchell-Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informational about ITK, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge...

[ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you wendy geniusz youve saved my life trying to write a respectful decolonized text about gikendaasowin in 9 weeks 😭🙏❤️ legit queen

[Arielle W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important and really helpful book. Great overview of colonization, with some actual suggestions on how to decolonize texts. The author explains the problems of these colonized texts and how they distort knowledge, but does this without blaming those who wrote them (because sometimes they were genuinely written to help preserve knowledge), and without completely disavowing what's in those texts. Instead, we can use them in a way to help revitalize the culture in a more meaningful way to our own benefit. The texts need to be examined and changed because they cannot be used as-is (e.g., degrading comments need to be removed and abbreviated instructions need to be expanded upon). And we need to recognize our own biases and they ways in which we've been colonized if we are working toward revitalization.